Issues
by ihaveheadphonesnotears
Summary: 13 years after Victor and Victoria are married, things go awry... Can a modern teenager help them? TEMPORARY HIATUS
1. An Odd Happening

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of Corpse Bride (Tim Burton does) I do, however, own the plot/story/OCs

This is my first fanfic, and I hope you like it. :3

* * *

Summer. For most, it meant no school, and more freedom. For others, it meant months of being bored, with nothing to do.

Dominique happened to fall into the second category.

It had been only a week after school had let out, and already she had run out of things to do. It was too hot to be outside, her friends were on vacation, and she wasn't leaving for camp until July. What was she to do?

She sighed, flipping a stray strand of her hair behind her ear and adjusting her glasses. Unlike most people, she didn't wear her glasses most of the time, unless she needed to. To avoid losing them, she kept them on top of her head.

Her parents had left for their movie about ten minutes ago. She glanced at the clock. It would be about an hour-and-a-half before they came back. _Dang… What should I do? _She frowned._ I guess I could watch a movie…_

Reluctantly, she got up and wandered over to where the movies were. A sign proclaimed, "Domino's Videos and DVDs. Please ask before borrowing, or risk injury." She smiled. Domino was her nickname, given to her by a classmate when she was younger. She looked through the selection, but couldn't make up her mind. Closing her eyes, she ran her hand along the shelf for a few seconds, and then opened her eyes.

"_Corpse Bride_," she mumbled. "Huh. Haven't watched that in a while. Eh, I guess so." Popping it into the DVD player, she sat down on the couch, sighing and sinking into it.

Wait a second…the couch wasn't comfortable enough to sink into. She frowned, and then realized something: she was sinking into it. Literally. In two minutes, she was halfway gone. _What do I do? _She was stuck, and now her legs were pressing into her chest. _Oh god…_ She couldn't breath; the pressure was too great. She gasped for air, trying not to pass out. Unfortunately, gravity won, and the teen was sucked under, unconscious.

* * *

Meanwhile, downstairs in the Land of the Dead, it was like any other day. Corpses and skeletons were mingling and chatting with each other. Some couples were dancing to a jazzy song, while others were sitting at the bar, chatting idly.

A large _crack _made most of the people look up. "Probably needs repairs," a skeleton with a mug of liquor muttered. _Crack. _The ceiling now had a large bump with cracks in it in the middle, and looked like it was about break. People who were under the bump were backing away from it as quickly as possible.

And they didn't do that too soon, either. With a final _crack_, the bump finally collapsed, and the girl fell onto the floor, still unconscious. A little boy in a sailor suit ran through the crowd and poked her arm with his bony finger. "She's still soft!" he said excitedly, continuing to poke her.

Curious, the corpses and skeletons ventured closer. "By God, you're right!" a skeleton with a mustache exclaimed. "If she's a breather," a little girl with a pink dress asked skeptically, "how come she's not moving?"

Mrs. Plum shoved her way through the crowd. "Coming through!" she yelled, pushing aside people who were in her way. "She's coming to, can't you see?"

Indeed, she was. Domino began to stir, mumbling incoherent phrases. Tenderly, Mrs. Plum scooped her up in her arms and carried her away from the crowd. "Poor child," she murmured, carrying her away, "What happened to you?"

To her surprise, the girl responded. "Couch…" she mumbled. "Couldn't…breath…" were her last words before she fell asleep.

Mrs. Plum shook her head, and continued to carry her until they were in a small room. Gently, she laid her on the bed, covered her up with a few tattered blankets, then quietly shut the door behind her.

* * *

Good? Bad? Moo? Reveiw, please. :3 Constructive critism is welcomed; flames will be ignored/laughed at.


	2. A Similar Happening

Issues

Chapter Two

Sometime later –although she wasn't sure how much later—Domino woke up. At first, she was confused; then she remembered the recent events. Gingerly, she felt her forehead. To her surprise, someone had placed a cool washcloth on it. She removed it, then examined her head for any bumps. There was a small one on the back of the head, but other than that, she was fine.

Carefully, she got out of bed, and was relieved to find out that she hadn't broken any bones. She made her bed, silently thanking whoever had taken her here, and washed her face in the small bathroom.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," she said, exiting the bathroom and opening the door. How long had it been since she was sucked under by the couch? Domino wondered.

When she opened the door, she was greeted with the sight of two boys, who looked to be the same age as her. One looked a bit shy, and was glancing around nervously; the other seemed more at ease, with a small smile on his face.

"Uh, hi," she said, wondering what was going on. The shy boy looked up, a little startled. "I-I'm Vincent Van Dort, miss," he stammered. "And this is my friend, Toby Todd."

Domino stepped aside to let them in. _Van Dort? But, but that's impossible! Actually, given what's happened, I'm shouldn't be surprised._ "We just wanted to make sure you were alright, miss," Toby explained.

"Call me Domino," she said, not really liking the sound of "miss"; it was too old-fashioned for her. Toby raised his eyebrow slightly. "It's short for Dominique," she added hastily.

There was an awkward pause; then Vincent asked, "Anything we can do?" She started to shake her head, then paused. "Wait…would you mind telling me how you got here?"

The boys looked at each other. Toby shrugged, indifferent. "It's a bit of a long story," he warned. Domino shrugged and sat down on the bed. "Not like I'm going anywhere."

Vincent hesitated. "Well, alright. See, mi—Domino, this is what happened…"

* * *

It was a cloudy day, as usual. To Vincent though, he knew it was different; it was the one-day of the year when his father mysteriously disappeared into the woods for hours at a time. And this year, Vincent was determined to find out why. Hurriedly buttoning his coat, he ran downstairs. He was just in time to see his father leaving. He seemed surprised to see his son.

"Father," Vincent said breathlessly, "Can I go with you?" He looked up at him, pleading to be let in on the secret.

Victor hesitated. Should he let him come? "Alright," he relented. "Be ready in ten minutes," he called, as his son raced out of the house.

Vincent raced down the streets, until he came to a large brick building on the corner of Fleet Street. It was actually an orphanage, and that's where his friend Toby lived.

He ran up the steps and knocked on the door, breathless. In a few moments, an elderly woman opened the door. She smiled when she saw him. "I'll tell him you're here," she said, winking before turning around and yelling for Toby to come down. Vincent smiled. Mrs. Mickran was a nice old lady—a bit dodgy, perhaps, but nice.

Within half a minute, Toby was downstairs, a grin on his face. The two waved to Mrs.Mickran, then started walking back to Vincent's house.

"Today's the day, isn't it?" Toby asked excitedly. Like his friend, he too had wondered about Mr. Van Dort's strange tradition.

Vincent nodded. "We have to hurry though, if we want to go," he warned, and the two began running. In a few minutes, they were in front of the house, just as Victor was leaving.

He smiled, seeing his son and friend, and the three began to walk towards the woods. Within a little bit, they had reached the spot where Victor went every year: Emily's grave.

Toby couldn't help but raise an eyebrow, and discreetly point. Vincent followed his finger, and was equally surprised. Something like a hand was sticking out of the ground.

Victor frowned, then knelt down next to the ground. "That's odd," he muttered, feeling the hand-like structure. "That wasn't here last—"

He got no further. The hand seized his wrist, and began to pull him down. He struggled, but it was no use. Not only was Victor was being pulled under, but the ground around him started to sink. Panicking, Vincent grabbed onto his father's wrist. He dug his heels into the ground, still slid closer and closer to the hand. Toby grabbed onto his friend's wrist, but his fate was inevitable. Within a few moments, the three were dragged underground…

"…And then everything went dark," he concluded. Toby nodded, and sat down on one of the two chairs in the room. Vincent hesitated, then sat down in the other chair.

"Huh," Domino murmured. "That sounds like what happened to me." _This _has _to be a dream. What else could it be? Unless, of course, it's real…_

"So, where is here, exactly?" she asked.

* * *

A/N: Moo? Quack? Woof? (And to clarify, yes, WhatUpImDomino is my side account) Gummy razors will be given to those who review. Flames will be used to roast hot dogs and make s'mores.


End file.
